[2022-02-21] Humour and humanity
I spent a good portion of the day working on a post in follow-up to my article asking Jenesis readers How has a loved one's cancer affected you? However, it will take more time for me to complete that post, so I offer another one for today.
Given the heavy subject and some upsetting news today about the return to chemotherapy of a friend who had previously dealt with cancer and the sudden passing of a former colleague, I was in need of some lighter fare for this evening.
One of the social media accounts I like to follow is Very British Problems (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook), which presents the "oddball behaviours and cultural quirks" of the Brits. The other day, I came across this post about the possible meanings for the word "Sorry":
- Hello
- I didn't hear you
- I heard you but I'm annoyed at what you said
- You're in my way
- Sorry
- I'm not sorry at all
So many of us are in need of something positive, humorous or uplifting in our lives. I find myself gravitating to stories demonstrating the best in humanity, such as two young boys who got off their bikes and stood, with hands clasped behind their backs, to pay their respects as a soldier was laid to rest in a nearby cemetery. Or the doctor who dressed up as Batman to fulfill the dream of one of his young cancer patients. Or the woman who made two-person mitts so that she and her husband could hold hands on winter walks. Or the people who gave pairs of roses to passersby: one for themselves and one to give to someone else. Or a community fridge and pantry set up in Hamilton, Ontario, where people are invited to "Take what you need" and "Leave what you can." Or the woman who lives near Wakefield, England, and mistakenly joined a Facebook group for people in Wakefield, Quebec, only to receive a care package from her new Canadian friends when she apologized for joining the wrong group.
At a time when both traditional and social media are replete with examples of self-centred behaviour, I welcome these stories of acts of kindness and love.
